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From S.P. Higgins to John W. Geary
[page 1]
November 24th
Escape of [text stricken through] Prisoners
Tecumseh Kansas Territory
Nov 23rd 1856
Governor Geary
Sir,
The unpleasant duty devolves upon me of informing you that thirty-one of the forty-seven prisoners placed in my charge, escaped last night about 10 o�Clock, by making holes through the walls of the prison building and taking advantage of the extreme darkness of the night. I am convinced that they were not assisted by outsiders. Thinking these men might make their way to Topeka, I hastened with my Comp[a]ny, to that point. I do not think they went that direction, as I reached there by two o�clock and found all perfectly quiet.
These men, I think Sir, have made their way to Lawrence.

Lieut. S.P. Higgins writes a letter from Tecumseh, Kansas to Gov. John W. Geary on November 23, 1856. He informs Geary that 31 prisoners in his custody escaped the previous night through holes in the prison walls. He says that he suspected the prisoners were headed for Topeka, so he travelled there, but did not find them. He now suspects that they might have gone to Lawrence, and assures Geary that he will update him when he receives new information.

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From S.P. Higgins to John W. Geary
[page 1]
November 24th
Escape of [text stricken through] Prisoners
Tecumseh Kansas Territory
Nov 23rd 1856
Governor Geary
Sir,
The unpleasant duty devolves upon me of informing you that thirty-one of the forty-seven prisoners placed in my charge, escaped last night about 10 o�Clock, by making holes through the walls of the prison building and taking advantage of the extreme darkness of the night. I am convinced that they were not assisted by outsiders. Thinking these men might make their way to Topeka, I hastened with my Comp[a]ny, to that point. I do not think they went that direction, as I reached there by two o�clock and found all perfectly quiet.
These men, I think Sir, have made their way to Lawrence.